1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a remote control for a receiver, more particularly for a television set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In local receiver networks, as operated in hotels and clinics or hospitals, in particular in so-called pay TV networks having individual pay TV channels in addition to the usual station channels of private and public broadcasting stations, keeping a record of reception or viewing time of channels subject to payment, namely pay TV channels, necessitates a special technical reequipment for the pay TV operator. In known pay TV systems the viewing hours relevant to individual television sets are each signalled via a separate line from each television set to a central accounting point and from there in conclusion to final invoicing of the guest or patient at the end of his stay in the hotel or hospital. Due to the lines and circuitry necessary for this purpose central accounting is highly complicated.
Television sets are already known for which authorization cards can be acquired by purchasing. These authorization cards are introduced into a card reader, a so-called swipe, in the television set which is then unblocked. The drawback of this solution is that constructional changes need to be made to the television set.
DE 42 17 649 A1 discloses using a swipe to unblock a television set or telephone, the swipe being included in a bed control unit. This bed control unit comprises entry keys which can be used for switching the television set ON/OFF and for channel selection. As an alternative it is proposed to eliminate these entry keys on the bed control unit and to provide instead a telephone or an infrared control means. As a further alternative the entry keys are to be provided on the swipe.
In DE 42 17 648 A1 a bed control unit having a swipe is disclosed, the control unit being connected to a control means in a remote control means, whereby headphones are connectable to the remote control means and unblocking use of a television set follows depending on the information stored in a swipe card.
DE 42 18 125 A1 shows that a control unit having the form of a telephone receiver can be used for remote control of a display monitor, an authorization check being implemented in the telephone receiver as to whether the user of the telephone receiver has authority to use a television set or not. It is proposed that this check be made via a corresponding chip card.
In EP-A-317404 a pay TV system is described in which a card reader is provided in the television set.
FR-A-2696888 discloses a remote control in which the function of the remote control can be determined by a plug-in storage card.
In DE-A-4212200 a remote control system is disclosed which serves to operate household appliances by using an IC card and a remote public telephone capable of processing said IC card via a public telephone network.
The aforementioned devices have, however, the disadvantage that monitoring ON of the television set necessitates means of a relatively complex configuration and installing these means is relatively complicated.